Chris turned a horrified expression to Max behind the bar. “What the fuck, Max?”
Max, a lean, baby-faced blond guy, shrugged. “You try saying no to her. I mean she’s a paying customer and the boss’s daughter, what was I supposed to do?”
Sean rubbed his whiskers, fighting not to smile.
Chris stalked over to me. “Is this how you deal with things? Getting drunk mid-afternoon and flailing around like freakin’ Stevie Nicks on crack?”
Sean sidled over towards me and leaned against the jukebox, his eyes alight with amusement. “Looks like you’ve put some money over the bar, sweetheart.”
I shimmied over to the bar, picked up my Tutti Frutti and saluted them with a “cheers.” I sipped from my glass and smacked my lips together in appreciation.
Earlier, in my rage, I drove down the street and withdrew as much cash as my credit limit allowed me from Mum and Dad’s generous allowance. I figured I had earned it, after all, and felt no guilt whatsoever about spending it on cocktails.
“Oh, that’s great! That’s just great!” Chris glowered at me, his hands on his hips. “Where’s Uncle Eric and Aunty Claire?”
I shrugged, peering into my empty glass. “They went out, probably going midlife-crisis shopping, I don’t know.”
Suddenly I didn’t feel so lively anymore. I pressed my forehead to the bar in an attempt to stop the room from spinning.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Don’t you bloody dare!” Chris called from across the room.
“Mate, we better get her out of here – if the parentals rock up and see her like this …”
Sean didn’t need to finish his sentence.
In serious danger of wanting to curl up and fall asleep at the bar, I was saved from sliding off my stool by a set of steely, muscled arms. They picked me up as if I weighed no more than a feather. I squinted through half-lidded, blurry eyes. Staring into a pair of unmistakable blue eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered.
He smirked. “And you’re a hot mess.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, leaning my head against the wall of his broad chest.
Sean laughed. “It wasn’t a compliment.”
Chris led the way, opening doors as Sean carried me up the staircase.
“I like it when you walk me to my room,” I mumbled.
“Shhh,” Sean whispered into my temple.
“What did she say?” asked Chris.
“I don’t know – something about the moon?” Sean suggested. “She’s pretty out of it.”
I went to correct him, but my head refused to lift.
“Yeah, well, bring her in. This will fix her up.” Chris’s voice echoed. Are we in a tunnel? We had been travelling up the stairs just a moment before. I longed to feel the feathery softness of my mattress, the warm embrace of my doona that smelled like lavender. Oh, how I wanted to just collapse in a heap and sleep the rest of the summer away.
So when I was set down and leaned up against a cold, tiled wall, I thought maybe I was dreaming.
That’s when I heard the water.
It took two Onslow Boys to pin me in the shower recess as they assaulted me with ice cold water that poured from above. I screamed and flailed and wanted to slide down to my knees and just sob bitterly, but Sean held me upright by the back of my shirt.
“I hate you!” I screamed.
Sean laughed. “Come on, now, that’s just the drink talking.”
“No it’s not, I know what I’m saying, don’t treat me like a fracking child.” I gurgled the last word, coughing, spluttering and finally sobbing as I tried to push Sean away in a limp-wristed motion. I was pathetic.
“A fracking child?” Sean said. “See you’re back to your old self again.”
I let it all out now; in bone-jarring sobs. I slid to the bottom of the shower and Sean let me go.
Chris shut off the tap and grabbed me a towel.
“Here you go, Chook.”
I glared up at him. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten your part in this. I hate you, too.”
Chris looked at Sean and shrugged, like ‘what’s a guy to do?’
He opened his mouth to speak and then paused, cocking his head to the side. His brow creased and he placed his finger to his lips for us to be quiet. I was too busy shivering my arse off.
Chris crept to the door and opened it just a crack, listening intently. He winced and swore under his breath.
“Shit, they’re back!” Chris ran his hand through his hair anxiously.
“You stay here and I’ll coax them back downstairs. Get her to her room, all right?” He opened the door a crack and slid sideways through it out to the landing.